


Confidence Man

by KayleighAnn



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Sex, Sexual Content, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2018-06-05 04:00:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6688348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayleighAnn/pseuds/KayleighAnn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Travis doesn't get enough love, so here's a fairly explicit retelling of the Confidence Man quest, plus some bonuses. Spoilers abound, proceed with caution.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Wanderer

"Do you think Bob and Bing Crosby ever got into fights, over who was the better Crosby? Weird... Right? Anyway, here's Bob Crosby!"

Travis Miles was, without a doubt, the worst radio DJ in the entire world. Not that there were many to choose from, but most Commonwealth travelers would have taken the Enclave propaganda radio over him any day. He was awkward, he stuttered, and scared easily. Once, the bar owner came by to make sure Travis was eating. When he knocked on the door, Travis screamed and knocked the majority of his equipment to the floor. 

Often, there would be a long stretch of pure radio silence. This would be followed up by Travis loudly shouting that he had returned, followed by several minutes of apologies before the music continued. It was clear that he was doing his best, and it was too bad that his best was still terrible. Listeners would send hate mail, even death threats to the isolated DJ. His few friends felt sorry for him, and most assumed they put up with him out of pity for the boy. 

Travis became more withdrawn as time went on, rarely leaving his trailer. When he did leave, he made a beeline for the bar where he would eat and drink quickly, before scrambling back to his home. It annoyed the owners to no end, who would have preferred for him to stick around and spend a few more caps. Beside, Vadim liked to tease the boy a little and thought if he could get him to open up a little he’d feel better. It was obvious that Travis had a thing for their waitress, and she seemed to be into him as well. 

As it were, Travis was a lost cause. 

"Keep a Knocking", by Louie Jordan is next. I like this one. It's short and... It's about telling people to go away. Oh... Louie..."

Music began streaming through an ancient radio, and a woman nearly snapped off the dial trying to turn it off. Her Pip-Boy was already tuned into Diamond City Radio, and the echo from the other radio was going to give her a headache. One of the downsides to scavving. 

She moved through the abandoned building, picking up everything from ammo to caps, and all the junk in between. A blue vault suit clung to her frame, which was curvier than what you would normally see in the wasteland. The back read “111”, indicating that she was an occupant. Of course, most didn’t know that 111 had existed, let alone had any survivors. She was the only one, having lost her son and husband to the Commonwealth. The Sole Survivor of Vault 111.

She kicked tables aside and peeked into every box she passed, taking anything of value. If it wasn’t nailed down, it was going in her pack. Everything had a use when you were building a settlement, even tin cans could be used to patch up a turret. The radio was her only companion, she scavved alone for a reason. While others could be considered friends, they all complained about the junk she carried around. Even Preston, who was constantly begging her to establish new settlements and set up trade routes would make a comment about her overstuffed sack.

Much easier to travel alone, even if it meant making a few trips to carry everything. The Sole Survivor was many things, a General, a Knight, and a scientist. Lonely was not one of those things. At least, that’s what she told herself. Travis was an awkward DJ, but she liked him. It was cute in a way, and it reminded her of home. So many in the Commonwealth trained themselves to be a hardass, Travis seemed real. She had tried talking to him at the bar in Diamond City, but he choked on his food and quickly left. She supposed he hadn’t believed her when she said she was a fan. 

“Uhhh…. Well, they were kind of in trouble. At the Cambridge Police Station… They were in pretty bad shape for awhile.” 

Sole stopped, worried that something new had happened at the station. She had helped the Brotherhood of Steel, and was promoted to a Knight when they arrived in the Commonwealth. While she wasn’t particularly fond of them overall, a few were friends and that was enough to keep her around. 

“But then… The, uhhh, the Vault Dweller showed up and gave them a hand. Or a gun, or something…”

A sigh of relief, this was just old news. Very old news. Travis needed to catch up on the times, the attack on the police station had been nearly a month prior to this report. Maybe she could sent Piper back to Diamond City for a few days and help Travis catch up on current reports. 

“Guess they’ll be on their way then, right?” A long pause followed, before the DJ shouted, “OR WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!” A moment of Travis mumbling, then music was back on the radio. 

Shaking her head, she continued sifting through 200 years of dust and grime to find the goodies that lay beneath. This was a lot of junk to bring back to Sanctuary, but if she caught a trader it would lighten her load. She hauled a few bags and crates back into the light, taking a quick inventory. Some of the heavier items could be sold for caps, while some of the armor and weapons that were worse for wear could be stripped for parts. 

Turning the volume lower on her Pip-Boy, she began to sort through her loot. Only an hour passed before she was ready to start moving. As luck had it, she passed a trader after having only walked for a few minutes. Handing over ammunition for guns she didn’t have, and heavy items she couldn’t carry, she took a bag of caps from the trader. Returning to her new stash, she filled her bag and made her way back to Sanctuary. It would take half a day carrying this load, so the radio stayed on as she listened for footsteps or noises in the distance. 

“Frankie Carle wrote a song about tomorrow. Or at least I guess uh, his version of tomorrow. Which is pretty different from mine." Travis went silent for a moment, then muttered softly under his breath. "Jerk."

Sole thought that Travis had life figured out pretty well. Her life had been turned upside down, and lost everyone she loved. It had taken time to build a new life, but she still felt some envy when the old songs came on and spoke of optimism. Even the songs about nuclear war were annoyingly bright. Travis certainly balanced that out.

She could see the lights of Sanctuary in the distance, she was almost home.


	2. Worry, Worry, Worry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sole Survivor makes a stop at Diamond City, and learns that she's not the only one who wants to see Travis happier.

“So, uhh, there are some rumors out there… In the Commonwealth… That I have heard…”

Travis’s voice came through the speaker of her Pip-Boy early in the morning. At some point during the night, the radio had gone quiet. Sole switched through the available stations, confirming that it was only Diamond City Radio that was down. She kept the station up, assuming he’d come back eventually. He usually did, drunk or sobbing a little before announcing the next song. It seemed that she had woken up during a news update.

“You know the one about the Railroad? A, uh… A group that actually helps… Helps synths who want to escape the Institute, yeah?” Travis was sober, but nervous and stuttered through the segment. “Well uh… Maybe it’s not just a rumor. I mean, it is as far as I know but uhhh…” He trailed off again, shuffling papers against the microphone trying to find his place.

She rolled over and faced the wall, smelling the fresh Abroxo she had used to scrub her dirty sheets with. Sole already knew about the Railroad, having met with them recently. That had been a week ago, at least. Travis was catching up to her, finally.

“I think it’s way safer to just, uhh, sit here and play… Play music.” There was a large crash, followed by Travis sputtering and shouting. “WHY. Do these objects? KEEP. MOVING?” For a moment he sounded as if he was going to cry, instead he softly muttered to himself. “Because I move them. And then I forget.” Music replaced his frustration, and Sole fell back into a deep sleep.

The next week was spent fixing up settlements as she traveled toward Diamond City. They were maintaining themselves well, people were making their way across the Commonwealth after hearing that the Minutemen had returned and there were safe areas to settle in. She was making her way to The Castle, and marking any stops to trade along the way. Preston desperately wanted to retake the old fort, and she felt she was finally ready. He had taken off immediately, allowing her to take her time as she traveled. She kept all of the ammo she came across, and sold all of the junk. A lot of it would have helped the settlements, but at the moment she needed weapons and ammo to outfit her Minutemen.

By the time she reached Diamond City, she was ready for a hot meal and a real bed. After dropping the last of her junk with Percy, she went to the Dugout Inn to see Vadim and catch a story with her meal. The bar was packed when she walked in, and had barely made it through the hallway when she heard Yefim groan, “Oh, here we go.”

His brother, Vadim, held up a hand to silence him. “Hey, you. Diamond City Radio, it’s terrible, yes? Makes you want to cut your own ears off!” He punctuated this by mock tearing at his ears, before slamming his fist on the table. “Travis, the DJ… He’s a disaster!”

Yefim looked like he wanted to say something, but you speak before he has a chance. “I don’t know, I guess I hadn’t noticed. I think he’s pretty nice.”

“Oh, SURE he’s a nice boy, a good kid. But customers hate him, it’s bad for business. Something must be done, and soon.” Vadim had a menacing look on his face, one that Sole rarely saw. A pit grew in her stomach as he continued. “We need a new DJ for this radio, someone needs to get rid of Travis.” He leaned across the counter and whispered, “I don’t think anyone would notice if he disappeared. Just get him to follow you out of town and-“

“Va-DIM!” Yefim moved forward and pushed his brother back. “That’s enough, tell her you’re joking!”

A few other customers looked their way, then quickly turned back to their drinks as Vadim rounded on his brother. “Of course I’m joking, Travis is a good kid! A terrible DJ, but a good kid!” He laughed, and turned back to Sole. “He’s a friend, we worry about him.”

Shaking his head, Yefim continued his brother’s thought. “Poor Travis. He means well, but has no confidence for the job. Or anything, really. He doesn’t believe in himself, so he always fails.”

She nodded in agreement. “I get what you’re saying. But something like that, wouldn’t it be hard to change?”

Vadim shook his head angrily. “No, it can be done! I tell Yefim every day.” Looking to his brother, he gestured as if to push him away. “Go on spoilsport, go work. We will talk privately.”

Yefim threw up his hands and went back to his station by the rooms. Sole followed Vadim to a room behind the bar where he pulled out two chairs for them and motioned for her to take a seat.

“Travis is a good guy. He deserves a better life, but no confidence, no life. He needs to feel good about himself, so I am thinking a bar fight! You ever been in one?”

Plenty.

“Yeah, nothing new to me.” She smirked, waiting for him to continue.

“Alright, so here’s what we do. You show up at 6 tomorrow, you want to be part of helping Travis. I have a few guys, good guys, they will take a fall for money. Help Travis win, and he’ll be confident.” Vadim seemed so proud of himself, she wondered if he could lend some of his own confidence to the awkward DJ.

“I don’t know if this will work.”

“It WILL work!” Vadim slammed his hand on his knee to accentuate his words.

“I’ll take your word for it. If it doesn’t though, I have an idea for myself.” She trailed off, thinking of her own plan.

“Sure sure, but my plan will work.” Vadim excused himself back to the bar, and she made her way to Yefim to book a room for the night. If she was going to spend the night in Diamond City, she wasn’t going to sleep on a cot by the guard station.

She slept, with the light of her Pip-Boy casting a soft glow and Travis’ voice lulling her to sleep.

“Would you like some Danny Kaye? I sure thought so..."


	3. Man Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vadim is confident his plan will work, the Sole Survivor isn't completely sure.

“I’ve, uhh, I’ve got some more news for you, if you want it. I mean, if you’re listening. Of course.” Travis dropped his voice and whispered, hoping no one would notice. “Duh, stupid.” He cleared his throat and continued. “There’s that little town of Covenant… You know, that one. Well, I guess it’s empty.”

Sole listened to this broadcast carefully, knowing that she had cleared out the town only a few days ago. She hadn’t had a chance yet to convert it into a settlement, but the only residents that remained were Dora and Deezer. Despite what the town had been doing, she still felt guilty for having to put them all in the ground. 

“I hope they weren’t, like, all murdered by Raiders or something. That would…” Travis trailed off, and was silent for a moment. “Well, that would be sad.”

Raiders. That’s as good of an explanation as anyone would get. Soles karma shifted in the balance between good and bad, depending on her mood. A good way to describe her would be lawful neutral, verging on chaotic neutral. She tried to follow the rules, but liked doing things her own way now. 

She spent her day counting the hours until 6 PM. Trading the last of her junk she had brought along, she had a heavy sack of caps and a fair amount of stimpacks saved up. Recently she had discovered an easy way to make money, though she had to do it in secret. Brahmin left a lot of waste, and the gardens could only use up so much fertilizer at a time. Luckily for her, hanging out with the wrong crowd on occasion taught her a few things. She had learned how to make Jet, and it was raking in the caps. 

Sole only sold to doctors, and “chemists” of the Commonwealth. They had a use for it, and it was better than getting the attention of raiders or a strung out junkie. Her story was that she found a lot of drugs whenever she cleared out a raider camp, and Jet was their drug of choice. It was easier than saying she was knee deep in Brahmin shit in her settlements. 

Lawful neutral, most days. 

The last few hours leading up to 6 were spent at Nick’s agency. She loved traveling with the old synth, but she knew the city needed him more than she did. Taking him with her to The Castle would be a waste of his time and resources, though she knew he would do it if she asked. His time with her would come soon enough, after retaking The Castle she planned to continue her search for her son. She only hoped that the extra support would be enough to help her. 

It was 5:45 PM. Showtime. 

Giving Nick and Ellie a wave, she made her way back to the Dugout Inn. Ahead of her were two guys she didn’t recognize. Those must be Vadim’s men. Travis was nowhere in sight, he was either inside already or making his way over. Sole hurried inside to get a spot at the bar to wait for him. 

Settling on a stool, she whispered to Vadim. “Those your guys?” 

He grunted, “That’s Bull, and Gouger. They will take the hit for Travis, so this plan will work.” He seemed sure of himself, so she ordered a beer to pass the time. 

It wasn’t long before a lanky, hunched over man came through the door. He wore his old leather jacket, and it seemed like he had more bags under his eyes than the last time she saw him. Moving slowly, he made his way up to the counter while trying to not attract attention.

“H-hey Vadim. Can I get a-“

He wasn’t able to finish his sentence before the blonde man in the leather jacket threw his weight into him. That must be Bull.

“Hey, watch it fuckface.” Bull snarled at Travis before pushing him away. Subtle.

“I- I- I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-“

“You didn’t mean jack shit. Watch where you’re going and get the fuck out of my face.”  
Travis shrank back, almost falling into her lap now as he tried to get away from Bull. Before he could get far though, the thug grabbed his arm.

“Hey, ain’t you the shitty DJ from the radio?”

“Y-yes, I mean, no, I mean… Yes…” Poor Travis, he was petrified.

“You know what, I think it’s time someone put you out of your misery. I hate your little program, and I hate you!” 

Travis closed his eyes, bracing himself for the attack he was certain would follow. Instead, Bull loosened his hold on Travis and let him fall back into Sole. 

She whispered softly in Travis’ ear, making him jump. “It’s ok, I’ll back you up.”

He shuddered, “I uhh, I mean… I’m not really looking. To cause trouble, that is.” Travis became near hysterical, shouting now. “I have no idea what I did to deserve this! I just want to be left alone!” 

“Well then, we’re going to stand up to them.”

“No! I mean, this could get violent.” Travis was shaking, nearly in tears now.

“Don’t worry Travis, I’ve got your back. I won’t let them hurt you.”

He gulped. “Alright. I’ll… I’ll try!” He stood up, and puffed out his chest. It would have been comical, but she did worry about what was coming next. “You guys… You need to leave me alone!” 

Bulls partner stepped forward. “Beat it, pal. You ain’t got a chance against us.”

Travis sniffled, but didn’t back down. “I mean it! That’s enough!”

The blonde turned his attention back to Travis and laughed. “Did you hear something, Gouger? I think Travis needs to learn how to speak up.”

“I said… I said that’s enough! Go away, or…” Travis wimped out at the last moment, but he stayed standing straight. 

“Oooh, Travis. Were you about to say, ‘or else’? You wouldn’t say that, would you?” 

He whimpered then, and took a step back.

“That’s what I thought.” Bull chuckled and turned back to the bar.

Travis stomped his foot and shouted, “I’ll… I’ll beat you up!”

The bar went silent. Everyone turned to look at Travis and Bull, shocked at the DJ’s outburst.

“Heh, big mistake. I’m gonna destroy you and your little bitch.” Bull lunged at Travis, grabbing him by the throat. 

A few bar patrons jumped to their feet, watching carefully but not wanting to get involved. Bull and Gouger were big, tough looking men. No one came to the Dugout looking for a fight, and most of them were unarmed. Someone ran out to find a guard, they only had a minute or two to finish this. 

Gouger went charging after Travis, so Sole grabbed a baseball bat from behind the bar and swung it into his stomach. It knocked the air out of him, and he fell to his knees. 

“Jesus Travis, don’t just stand there and let him strangle you!” 

Travis’ eyes snapped open, and he kicked his knee up and caught Bull in the crotch. The bigger man dropped him, and Travis staggered back clutching his windpipe. 

“Fucking… Dirty little bitch.” Bull pulled a switchblade from his pocket, causing Vadim to shout. This wasn’t going according to plan.

Sole did her best to keep an eye on Travis, but Gouger was proving to be a major annoyance. The guy was sloppy, but hit hard. After seeing his friend get kneed, he wasn’t holding back anymore. So much for taking the fall…

She could hear Travis stuttering and crying behind her, and they backed toward each other. Vadim was trying to get Bull’s attention, but it was too late now. Gouger glanced toward Bull as he shouted, and it was the only opportunity she needed to take her hit. She slammed the bat down on his head, hearing a sick crack as he slid to the floor. Turning her attention to Travis, she was surprised to see that Bull was sitting on his ass and holding his head.

“Travis, what did you do?”

He spun on his heel and stammered. “He… He came at me with that knife, so I grabbed a bottle off the bar and hit him over the head!” 

Her beer. It had saved his life. She was overjoyed, not only had he stood up for himself but he had managed to defend himself as well. Vadim was cheering in the background, with Yefim worrying over the mess they had made. A patron shouted that security was on their way, and Bull ran. Gouger stumbled to his feet and followed, as a security guard shoved a few people aside to make his way to the bar. 

Travis snuck out while the guard spoke with Vadim, and Yefim pulled Sole aside. “Hey, your room is on us tonight. Thanks for sticking up for Travis. I’m going to send Scarlett over with some food for him on her break. Maybe you can talk to her before she does?”

Vadim swaggered over, and clamped a hand on Sole’s shoulder. “Yes! Now for next part of fool-proof plan! Scarlett should spend some time with Travis, it would do him some good. You know what I say?”

She nodded and found the young waitress sweeping in a back room. It only took a few words of gentle encouragement to get the girl to take a plate to Travis. Sole watched her leave, and went back to her room. 

Laying on her back, she thought about how she had spent her day. Selling drugs, drinking, and fighting. 

All in a day’s work.


	4. A Wonderful Guy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sole tries to give Travis a confidence boost before his date with Scarlett, but sometimes things just don't work out.

Sole woke up in silence. Checking another station, she confirmed that Diamond City Radio was dead air again. She sighed, hoping that Travis had overslept after having a good time with Scarlett. Stumbling out of bed, she made her way up to the bar to get something to eat. 

“Morning, Vadim.”

“Good morning! I take you slept well?” No one had any business being this cheerful in the morning, least of all Vadim.

“Yeah, the fleas kept me company last night. It almost made up for the lumps in the mattress.”

Vadim attempted to look offended, but waved her teasing comments away. “Scarlett came back from her break late. I think her visit with our friend went well.”

“Oh, how late are we talking?”

He shrugged. “Only a few minutes. She says they have a date tonight, that noodle stand is so romantic.” He fake swooned, and brought her a few mirelurk cakes and a beer. “On me, for helping.”

Whoever made their food, knew what they were doing. She devoured her meal, and leaned back when it was over. “I was thinking about checking in on him, making sure he’s doing alright. What do you think?”

Vadim slapped his hands together and smiled. “Yes, yes! Talk to the boy, get him ready for Scarlett. He does not know how to talk to women, you teach him!”

“Alright, I’ll do my best. If nothing else, a dose of liquid courage might loosen him up a little.”

“Now that is what I like to hear.” He slipped a small bottle across the counter, and she pocketed it. 

“I’ll be back to get my things after I see Travis, then I’m heading out.”

“Thank you my friend, and good luck with the boy.”

Sole made her way through Diamond city, enjoying the sun. It was warm, through the coldness of the winter. There was no snow, and it was warmer than what she was used to for December. Her vault suit was insulated for the season and kept her comfortable as she walked. 

Arriving at Travis’ door, she walked up the short steps and pounded on the metal. From inside, she heard a yelp and a thud, along with a few items being knocked over. Travis answered the door, clad only in boxers. 

“I-I… Hi?” The poor DJ looked confused, and yelped again when he realized he was nearly nude. He scurried inside and pulled a shirt on, as she let herself in. “Sorry, the uh… The feed must have died again.” He sat at the station console and began shuffling holotapes until he found what he wanted. “Coming to you from the jewel green, I mean uh… The green… Ughhhh. I mean the… The great green jewel of the Commonwealth. It’s uh, it’s Diamond City Radio!” Music began to play, and he leaned back with a sigh. 

“Travis, are you alright?” 

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m… I’m good.” He looked awful, but she didn’t press it. 

Instead, she leaned against an inactive tower and looked down to him. “So, you were really something last night.”

“What? I didn’t do anything wi- Oh… Yeah, the fight.” He smiled shyly. “I can’t believe we did it. We actually did it. I hit a guy!” 

She giggled, enjoying the budding confidence coming from him. “Think you can take them both on the next time they show their ugly faces?”

Travis recoiled, “Oh, oh no. Definitely no. I got lucky, very lucky. I am not a fighter.” 

“Really? You sure seemed like one last night.”

He looked up at her, not sure if he should believe her or not. “I… I don’t think so.”

“Hmm… Well, you can be a hero tonight, right?”

Confused, he swapped out the tape for a new one and quickly announced the title before turning back to her. “Yeah I… I don’t think I’m going to go. I thought it was a good idea, but now I realize it’s a terrible, awful idea.”

Poor guy.

“Come on Travis, you’ll do fine. She already likes you, you’re halfway there! You just need to make eye contact and try not to slurp your noodles.”

He didn’t look very encouraged by that. Travis leaned forward and hid his head in his hands. 

Sole sighed, and kneeled down in front of him. “Travis, really. It’s not that hard. You’re just nervous. Try uh… Try blowing off some steam before you go, if you catch what I mean.” His blank expression told her that he didn’t. “You know, masturbate? Blow a load before you go? You won’t feel as anxious if you’re not pent up.” 

He laughed nervously, then sighed again. “I don’t, uh… I don’t really do that. I um… I’m not very good with my hands.” Turning red, he tried to hide again. Instead, he found that Sole had taken his hands in hers. 

“Well, while I’m here… Why don’t I help you out?” She grinned slyly, her experience really could help him out. She wasn’t about to take his virginity, but a handjob barely counted. 

Travis stuttered, unable to form a coherent sentence. “I- uh – you don’t, you know, um… Oh.” 

“I’m serious, change out the tape and relax. I’ll go easy on you, and I don’t think it will take long for you anyway.” She moved closer to him, and her hands started stroking his thighs. “If you go see her with a clear head, you’ll have a way better time.”

He nodded wordlessly, knowing it did no good to argue. Especially when he knew he secretly wanted it.

Her hands were still soft, she hadn’t built up enough calluses yet and she had somehow maintained a beauty routine. Nails filed smooth, she ran them under his boxers and gently dragged them back down to his knees. Travis exhaled with his teeth clenched, sweat beginning to bead on his brow. If a simple touch was already undoing him, she could only imagine how he would react when she actually touched him. 

It didn’t take much for a tent to pop up between his legs. His erection strained at the fabric, and she could see a spot darkening where pre was already leaking out. Her lips twitched into a smile as she guided the boxers off the DJ. He let out a small whimper as the cold air hit him, which was replaced with a low moan when her hands wrapped around his member. 

He said her name at some point, so softly she could barely hear it. He continued changing out music as she began stroking his balls, teasing him as well as she could. “Travis,” she purred, “Make sure you tell me what you like.”

Of course, he stuttered that he had no idea what he liked, this was new for him. 

“Well, I guess we get to play a bit so you can learn.” She watched him tilt his head back and squeeze his eyes shut, trying not to moan. Her fingers began working his shaft, stroking its length and applying pressure at the tip to push the pre out. Whenever it seemed like he was getting close, she lessened her grip and allowed him to calm down slightly before building him back up. Knowing that he was a virgin, and rarely touched himself, she knew he could finish quickly if she wasn’t careful.

Travis moaned her name again, a little louder this time. It was all the encouragement she needed to give him a proper send off. Pumping his cock, she watched the pre build and leak down the side, lubricating her palm. He whimpered softly, and placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“Please… Please.” He still couldn’t look at her, but he was thrusting into her hand. It took only another second before a hot jet spurted out at her, coating her hand and most of her arm. “Oh… Oh no. I’m so, so sorry.” He began looking around for a rag to hand her, and froze when he saw she was licking his seed from her hand. “What are you doing?”

Sole grinned, and eyed his deflating cock. “I figured I should clean us up a little before Scarlett shows up, don’t you?” He nodded vigorously, resuming his search for the rag. Not that he needed it. She leaned forward and began licking his sack, working her way up to the tip. By the time she had him cleaned and was swallowing the last of his salty cum from her lips, he was hard again.

She giggled. “Waste not, want not.” Travis didn’t know what she meant by that, but wasn’t about to ask. She had wrapped her mouth around him and started trying to deep throat him immediately. Sole hadn’t intended to do this much, but fuck it. He wasn’t stopping her.

The poor DJ was nearly reduced to a puddle, and had managed to wrap his hands in her hair. He tugged gently, moaning softly and begging her to continue. She only broke away to suck his balls for a moment, which was incredible to him. Planting kisses along his shaft, Sole moaned along with him. 

When she began circling his dick with her tongue, he almost lost it. She pulled away just in time to let him calm down, before going back to sucking. After moaning her name again, she stood up. 

“I’m… sorry? I… Uh, hm…” Travis couldn’t quite get the words out. He wanted to ask her to continue, but he felt so dirty about it. She was pleasing him, trying to help him squash some of his awkwardness before the most important night of his life. He continued to stutter as she climbed on his lap.

“Travis… I want to make you feel great.”

He nodded, and she started kissing and sucking at his neck. He felt something wet and warm pressing against him, he realized she had pulled up her dress and was grinding against him. His erection was rock hard, he desperately wanted to stop himself but couldn’t. He came as she prepared to lower herself onto him. 

Sole froze, surprised. She prepared to make a joke about how good she must be, but she looked down and saw that he was crying. Well, that didn’t go according to plan at all. “Travis, shh… It’s alright, really.”

He shook his head and pounded his fists on the desk. “No, dammit. I’m… I’m a man! I’m not supposed to-“

She kissed him, if only to stop him from talking for a moment. 

He grunted, and she pushed herself off him. At that moment, there was a knock at his door. Travis looked panicked. Sole pressed her fingers to his lips, and dove under his bed. He quickly arranged his suitcase and a duffel bag to cover her before he answered the door. 

Scarlett stood there, blushing slightly. “Hi Travis. I’m a little early but… Are you ready?” 

“Uhhh, yeah! Come on in, I just need to uh… I just need to change quick.” He moved aside and let her in. 

She politely turned away, as he dug through his bag and pulled out a clean pair of jeans. He shrugged on his jacket, and looked at her. “You look… You look nice.”  
Scarlett smiled, and sat on the edge of his bed while he set up an audio feed to run while he was out. “Okay guys, I’m uh… I’m stepping out, this feed should keep the music rolling. I hope…”

“You know, we don’t have to rush out just yet. We could sit here and… Talk?” Sole recognized the tone in the other girls voice, and she seethed. He had better not even think about fucking this girl while she’s stuck under his bed. 

“Oh, no… I’m uh… I’m starved. Let’s eat.”

She heard them leave together, and peeked around the edge of the suitcase to make sure they were both gone. After waiting a few minutes, she snuck out of his trailer and made her way back to the bar. Collecting her bag, she tipped Vadim and went out the door. 

What a mess she was leaving behind. At least Travis was able to talk to Scarlett, maybe they would have a good date after all. The image of him crying wouldn’t leave her mind as she traveled to The Castle. After walking in silence for a few hours, she switched the radio back on. A pit formed in her stomach when she heard Travis speak.

He was sniffling, his voice cracking. “Uhh, I hope you enjoyed that uh, that last song." ¬ Travis let out a choked sob before he continued, "OKAY." Music came through the small speaker, but she turned it back off. She couldn’t stand to hear him cry, not tonight.

The Castle would be within her sights soon, so she focused on that instead.


	5. Butcher Pete Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Travis and Sole hatch a plan to save Vadim.

“Betty Hutton sure sounds like she’s mad at… Some guy. Here’s her song.”

The Castle had taken three days to clear out. Someone set up a radio, tuned to Diamond City Radio. As much as she didn't want to listen, she couldn't tell the Minutemen to turn their music off.

Three days of cleaning mirelurk guts from the floors. Three days of harvesting their eggs and making sure none would hatch. Three days of recovery, from the acid that the Mirelurk Queen had spit on her. All of this while hearing Travis stutter and cry his way through the music announcements.

Sole had done everything she could to help, but at a certain point she just stepped back and let the Minutemen handle the rest. Preston had asked her to do a few things before going on her way, so she focused on that. They had found plenty of beds and scrap in the buildings nearby, and there were at least three men at all times transporting materials to her workbench.

She reduced the majority of it to scrap, but finally had enough to fix the radio. As soon as it was up and running, one of the men sat down and started fiddling with the broadcast. Sole checked her Pip-Boy and found a new radio broadcast, coming through loud and clear.

“Alright boys, I think you’re covered on this end.” Her hands were sore from planting crops and building trading areas. They now had a small bar, a doctor, and a trading post. Anything beyond that could wait if they weren’t able to fix it themselves. It was difficult for her to stay in one place for longer than a day or two. Ever since crawling out of the cryogenic pod, she didn’t like staying put.

It wasn’t long before she was back on the road. Travis was crying again, almost a solid minute of it before the mic cut out. The Minutemen station wasn’t much better, just a cheesy violin solo followed by the time.

“Man, fuck that noise.”

Traveling in silence was better than that, so the radio stayed off. She considered traveling to the Prydwyn to report to Maxon, but as she thought of it she realized that it wasn’t Brotherhood related so it wasn’t any of his business. She was nearing Diamond City when she her geiger counter started clicking. A rad storm. Great.

It wasn’t her intention to go into the city, but without her power armor it would be stupid to not take shelter. Sole hurried through the gates and got to the Inn just as the storm hit. She could stand to sit at the bar and listen to the radio while she waited for the storm to pass. When she walked in however, Vadim was not behind the counter. Yefim was pacing nervously, and rushed to her as soon as he noticed her walking in.

“I told him! I told my brother this was a bad idea. I can’t… I can’t do this. I need your help!”

“Woah, Yefim, what’s going on?”

“They took him, those thugs. They took Vadim!” Yefim was nearly in hysterics, but managed to continue. “Those guys, the ones who messed with Travis. They wanted money, he wasn’t paying up. So they knocked him out and said one way or another he would pay.” He leaned against the bar, almost in tears. “I told him not to mess with those guys, but he wouldn’t listen!”

“Do you have any idea where they took him?”

“I… I don’t. I think Travis, I think he knows. Please, talk to Travis, and go find my brother. I will pay you, anything.” He stepped forward and took Sole’s hands in his, gripping tightly. “Please, I will pay.”

She shook her head and stepped back. “I will find him, but you don’t owe me anything. I was part of this mess, I’ll help clean it up. Just… Get ahold of yourself, and keep an eye on the bar. I’ll be back soon.”

Sole walked from the bar slowly, until she reached outside. The storm was still raging, so she raced to Travis’ trailer. She didn’t bother to knock, and Travis fell over when she barged in.

“Sorry Travis, I didn’t mean to scare you. I need your help, Vadim was kidnapped by Bull.”

By the blank stare on Travis’ face, she knew that he had no idea the problem had escalated so badly. He laughed nervously, “That’s not… That’s not funny, you know.”

“I’m not kidding Travis. Do you know where they could have gone?”

He was silent for a moment, then started to sniffle. “This is… This is all my fault. It’s because of what I did, isn’t it?”

“What? No, it’s because Vadim is a cheap-ass. You didn’t do anything wrong, ok? Now… Are you going to help me or not?”

Travis wiped his eyes and nodded vigorously. “Vadim is my only friend, at least, good friend. I don’t really have anyone else. If he’s in trouble, I want to help. I think I know where they are, but I want to come with you.”

“I don’t know. Do you think you really have what it takes to do this?”

“You mean, killing someone. I don’t know. But, I’ll do anything to help Vadim.” Travis set his jaw and tried to keep his eyes from watering. He looked terrified, but determined.

Sole sighed, and nodded. “Alright Travis, if you know where they are then I’ll let you lead the way. But there’s a rad storm right now, we should move quickly if we’re going to do this.”

He stood up straight, for the first time she noticed how tall he was. He was always slouching and trying to make himself appear smaller. If he worked on his posture and attitude, she thought he could be a great DJ.

“I’m pretty sure they’re at the old Beantown Brewery. If we hurry… We can get Vadim back, and everything will be ok, right?” He looked so lost, trying to take whatever confidence he had and use it.

“We can do this. Let’s go.” She gave Travis one of her lesser used guns. “I hope you know how to use this.”

He nodded, and followed her outside into the storm.


	6. Butcher Pete Pt. 2

The trip was quiet, they hurried from the outer gates and through the streets. She knew most of the shortcuts, and pointed them out to him. Once they arrived at the old brewery, he froze. 

“Travis?” She placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump.

“Sorry. I… This is real now.” He sighed, and looked at her. “Chances are, they’re inside. So, we should get in quickly.”

Sole nodded. “Stay behind me, and watch my back. Just keep covered, and we’ll be okay. Bull’s in this to get his money, so we should be able to get to Vadim easily enough.”

Neither of them wore heavy armor, she was wearing her Silver Shroud outfit when she had left The Castle so she could move quickly. She supposed that meant she was doing this mission in stealth mode. After giving Travis a few tips on how to walk silently on his heels, they crept through the door. 

There was immediate relief from the radiation, but no time to use Rad-Away. They had both taken a double dose of Rad-X before leaving. She had a refreshing beverage that they could share with Vadim once they found him, that would help scrub some rads before they went back to Diamond City. 

The room they walked into was suspiciously unguarded, and she whispered to Travis to be on the lookout for any movement. A nearby terminal contained no useful information, but moving closer to it she could hear light snoring coming from the room behind it. She motioned for Travis to stay behind the desk, as she crouched and moved into the room where she had heard the noise. A raider was passed out on a mattress, surrounded by empty bottles. Retrieving her knife, she snuck up slowly and slit his throat without raising any alarms. 

Listening for any other noises, Sole wiped the blood on the raider’s shirt and went back to Travis. “This room is clear, let’s keep moving.”

It was more of the same through the majority of the brewery. A few raiders here and there, most of them asleep or too busy talking to notice her creeping up behind them. Travis remained silent, his hands shaking so badly she was afraid he would drop his gun and draw attention to them. He took it like a champ, however. He refused to turn away as she killed each raider, even as he was turning green.

Finally, they reached the factory floor. She could hear Bull in the distance, talking to one of his men and taunting Vadim. It sounded like they intended to keep him as bait for awhile, and get some money out of Yefim. 

She pulled Travis behind a wall with her and quickly whispered to him, “Travis, I’m going to go ahead, and tell Bull that I will pay any amount for Vadim’s release. I will take out whoever isn’t paying attention while I make my way over there. Hide behind that bin, and take out anyone I don’t see coming after me. Can you do that?”

“I think… I mean… Yes. I can.”

“Once I reach Bull, I’m going to start firing at anyone who isn’t Vadim. Make your way to me then, and keep yourself covered.”

Sole kissed him on the cheek quickly, and moved between boxes and crates with ease. As she had stated, any raider that was between her and Bull was taken out. Travis didn’t see any others looking around, none of them had noticed their friends dropping like flies. They were all just junkies, after all. It wasn’t long before he heard Bull’s startled shout.

“What the? What the fuck are you doing here, bitch?” Travis heard a click, though he couldn’t tell if it was Sole’s gun, or Bull’s. He followed her, staying hidden as best as he could. It would have helped if he had a stealthy outfit like hers. Instead, he had a letterman's jacket and squeaky shoes. 

“It’s okay, I just want to get Vadim. I have enough caps to pay whatever he owed you, and them some. You know… For the trouble.” She reached into her bag, slowly, and retrieved a large sack of caps. 

Bull was eyeing her nervously. “How did you get in here, how did you get past my guys?” His gun was cocked, alternating between her and Vadim. “Don’t… Don’t take another step closer, or I’ll shoot him. And you! I need to know things are square first, before we try and make a deal.”

Travis’ heart was pounding, blood rushing to his ears. He couldn’t hear anything, and his vision was blurring. This was too much. It would be better for him to turn and wait outside. From the corner of his eye, he saw a movement. He slapped himself to try to focus, and saw a raider creeping around the edge of the room Sole and Vadim were in. 

He said he would do anything. 

“Come on Bull, let me take Vadim. You know the caps are worth more than his blood on your hands.” 

Bull laughed harshly, “Like I give a fuck about that? How about I just kill you both and keep everything?”

The raider was getting closer, and had their weapon ready. Slowly, Travis raised his own and aimed down the sights. He exhaled softly, closed his eyes, and pulled the trigger. 

“What the FUCK?” Bull turned toward the noise, which was all Sole needed. She jumped forward and stabbed him in the back, taking him down to the floor. Travis rushed forward, stepping over the fresh corpse. 

Vadim was straining at his ties, which were quickly cut by Sole. They helped the bartender to his feet and steadied him.

“You two… I didn’t know if anyone would come. I thought this was the end.” He hugged them both tightly, “Thank you, thank you! You are true friends.”

“Let’s get out of here then. Are there any more that might come after you?”

Vadim shook his head. “This was best they could do. Everyone inside, you killed them all, then we are safe.” 

“Okay. Travis, you follow Vadim and we’ll leave. If you see any room we missed, we’ll clear them out.” And she’ll return later to loot the place, but she didn’t add that. Vadim was a good friend, but she needed to buy ammo to replace what she spent on the raiders. 

He was chatty the entire trip out of the brewery, despite their best attempts to silence him. 

“Vadim, you do realize there could be more?”

The bartender waved his hands, “If there are, we can handle them now. Those idiots have caps and chems everywhere, guns too. They don’t know I filled my pockets.” 

Neither Sole or Travis were reassured by that. 

There were no more raiders on their way out, a small blessing. She was sure that there would be others when she returned, but it would be easy enough to handle on her own. There had been a terminal in the room they were holding Vadim that claimed to be owned by a “Tower Tom”. She expected to meet him one way or another. 

“Travis my friend, you are full of surprises. How did you get roped into this?”

He stuttered for a moment at Vadim’s words, but swallowed and answered. “I… I wanted to come. She didn’t force me or anything.” 

“I am proud of you, young friend. Let us go back to the bar and celebrate, yeah?” 

Sole kept an eye out for any approaching enemies, eyeing the ticks on her Pip-Boy. Nothing on the radar, but she couldn’t be too careful. Not with Vadim swinging his arms like they were going on a picnic, or Travis stumbling over every crack in the road. 

The gates were closed when they arrived, it was nearly 2 AM and they were covered in blood and dust. It only took a moment of sweet talking from Vadim for the guards to let them in. Danny Sullivan stood at the station and shook his head.

“Jesus, what kind of mess did you guys get into? You know what, no. I don’t want to know. Just get inside and clean up before the doctor has a heart attack.” 

Sole laughed and gave the two with her a nudge, “Thanks Danny, glad to know you still care so much.”

“Whatever.”

The bar was empty when they arrived, Yefim was pacing back and forth. He rushed forward as soon as he saw Vadim, and grabbed his brother tightly. “Vadim! You’re alive! Oh, I am so relieved.”

“Uch, get off me Yefim. I am fine, our good friend saved me ok?” Vadim feigned annoyance, but she could tell he was touched by his brother’s concern. “Now, a round of drinks for us, then you get the hell out of my bar.” He laughed, pouring shots for them all and keeping the bottle for himself. 

Sole sat with Travis on one of the overstuffed couches, and tapped his glass. He looked up, startled for a moment, then relaxed.

“So, you did it.”

“Ye-yeah, we did.” He stared into his drink, and sighed heavily. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Is it always like that?”

“Nah, sometimes it’s messier. This one was easy, they were all drunk.”

Travis was silent for some time, contemplating.

“Are you ok?” She leaned forward, placing a hand on his knee.

“Yeah. I was just thinking. What was I so nervous about before? Being on the radio? That’s nothing… Not compared to what you do every day.”

“Well, not every day.” She feigned annoyance and saw him crack half a smile.

“But it’s still more than what I’ve been doing. I don’t know why I was so worried. There’s so much I could do, that I should do. I’m not much of a fighter, but I can still help.” He smiled. “An old friend used to say that we all had a part in fighting the good fight, and this is my part. I can do more than stutter through some song announcements. I can help.”

“I’m impressed, Travis.”

He coughed, turning red. “Thanks.”

“So, what about you and Scarlett?”

“Oh… That, um… Well it didn’t work out. But that’s ok. I’m ok.”

She nodded, feeling guilty as if she’d had a part in the couple falling apart. “Maybe now, you two can give it another shot?”

“No!” He looked startled, then composed himself. “I mean, no. Really, I’m fine.” 

“Alright. Well, I’m going to catch some sleep, I’ll see you later Travis.”

He nodded, finished his drink, and left for his trailer. Yefim put Sole up in a room free of charge, and she switched on her radio to see if Travis made it home safely. 

“Ray Smith is right behind you baby! I mean, it’s his song. He’s not actually behind you. I, uh, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle anyone.” There was a muffled cough, before he continued. “The name of this song is Right Behind You Baby, by Ray Smith. I hope you enjoy it.”


	7. It's a Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post Confidence Man quest, Sole still has some unresolved business. 
> 
> Beyond this chapter will basically be a smut dump, so feel free to make requests.

Sole sat at the Power Noodles stand, eating her breakfast. She had snuck a mirelurk cake into the bowl when Takahashi wasn’t looking, and it added some texture and flavor. Before the war, she was a housewife. She had a law degree, but needed some time to raise Shaun before going back to work. It was habit now, to fix up her meals and add what she could to make it more than just edible. 

Travis was doing the news, and she didn’t pay attention until she heard him mention The Castle. 

“It had been full of fish… Or MONSTERS… Or monster fish??? I don’t know. Not- Not relevant! The Minutemen are there now! Which is good for them… And maybe us too.”

Still awkward as ever. Through the day she would catch snippets of his broadcasts, as she dumped off the junk she had picked up during their rescue mission. It sounded like he was making an effort to sound smoother, but his voice continued to crack. Confidence isn’t something you can just get overnight, though she was relieved that he did sound happier. 

“So uh, maybe you guys know, maybe you don’t. The Sole Survivor, yeah, her. She… She really helped me out the other day, and I know she won’t really tell anyone about it. But, she deserves the recognition. And uh, sorry I’m going off here… Uhm, let’s get back to the music.”

She heard Moe whooping down the road, a few residents laughing over Travis. Same old, same old. It was nice though, he was trying. 

It took four trips to clear out the brewery. There were hundreds of untouched bottles, along with enough caps and chems to set her up for awhile. The materials were no joke either, she was able to tear apart several terminals to get the circuit boards and tubes inside to use for higher powered defenses. It was on her fourth and final trip that she heard someone sneak up behind her. 

“Hey there little girl. What do you think you’re doing in my brewery?” A deep voice in her ear made her shudder, the hairs on her neck standing on end. She slowly reached for her gun, but a large hand stopped her. “What’s the hurry? You in a rush to die tonight?” 

Her first two trips kept her on guard, she was being sloppy on this last one. She knew there were more raiders that knew about this location, and she still let her guard down. Sole gulped, and tried to think of ways to escape. Forward was not an option, and if she turned too quickly he was sure to take her out. Her reinforced outfit could stop most knives, but nothing was going to stop a gun at close range. 

“Alright. Stand up, and walk forward. Sit against the wall and keep your hands where I can see them until I decide what to do with you.”  
When she turned, she saw a tall man wearing power armor. He had no helmet, just your run of the mill raider who had gotten his hands on some goodies. 

“You must be Tom.”

“That’s Tower Tom to you girlie, not that you’ll live long enough to need to repeat it.” He grunted after that, and started searching her bag. Lifting her caps from the bottom of the sack, he swore softly. “Nice haul you’ve got here. I mean, I’ve got here.” He laughed to himself, and walked toward her. “What else you got?”

“Nothing… That’s… That’s all I have on me.”

“I ain’t buyin’ that shit. I know you’re the one who must’ve taken out my guys while I was out.” He was close again, she could smell the booze and cigarettes on his breath. “Or should I go and see your friends for the rest of my shit?”

Sole knew it would be a bad move, but she spat in his face. He stepped back, swearing loudly. 

“Fuckin pig!” He drew his weapon, but was unable to finish his tirade against her. There was a loud bang, and his neck grew crimson. Tom dropped to his knees, coughing blood. Behind him, shaking in the doorway, was Travis. 

“Travis? What the fuck are you doing here?” Sole scrambled to her feet and ran to him, nearly tripping over the dying raider.

“I-I-I saw you going out of town, I knew you were coming out here. Danny saw a few raiders going this direction and he picked a few off, but a couple scattered and ran. I… I got worried.” He dropped his eyes and avoided her gaze. 

“Holy shit Travis, you rescued Vadim, and now me.” 

He shuffled his feet nervously, and slowly looked back toward her. Sole grabbed him and held him tightly. 

“I- uh, I’m sorry.”

“What for? Jesus, he was going to kill me. I got really sloppy, I wasn’t paying attention and he snuck up on me.”

“O-oh.” He cleared his throat, and pulled away. “Can I… Can I help you get back to the city?” 

She nodded, and finished clearing the building. “I think I got everything of value that was left here, we’re good now.” Sole made a mental note to not loot alone for awhile, or at least pay better attention and not get distracted. 

Travis helped carry what he could, though he refused payment when they got closer to Diamond City. 

“I’d rather if you… Maybe… Come visit me?” He gulped, and tried to speak again but couldn’t quite get it out. 

“I will. Promise.”

He nodded eagerly, and left for his trailer. Sole stood awhile by herself, then went back to the Inn for the night. Yefim allowed her to store all of her junk to sell in one of the spare rooms, as she was selling Vadim nearly 3 months worth of beer and chems at a good discount. 

Resting on the bed, she switched her radio on and closed her eyes. 

“Hello Diamond City, this is Travis “Lonely” Miles. I have some music for you tonight, so let’s get this going. Here’s Danny Kaye with “Civilization”. Enjoy.” 

Her eyes snapped open in surprise. Who was this smooth talking DJ? It sounded like puberty had hit him like a train, but it was unmistakably Travis. Judging by Vadim laughing from the bar, he had heard it too. 

“Guess the plan worked.” 

She lay there, listening to the new Travis for some time. The nervousness was all but gone, he still coughed and had an odd stutter, but it was a vast improvement. When she went back to Power Noodle for dinner that night, the entire city was buzzing about the new and improved Travis. 

Sole had work to do, and didn’t have time to participate in the town gossip. When she finished her meal, she finished trading the rest of her junk and continued her journey back to Sanctuary. There were several shipments making their way there, and she intended to be there when they arrived. 

In the two weeks that followed, she managed to rebuild most of the castle and assist the Minutemen in expanding. The Brotherhood had their reservations, but she was able to convince Elder Maxson to allow the Minutemen to continue their mission. The Railroad had no issue with the Minutemen, only making petty remarks about their past mistakes. 

Travis reported on the majority of her endeavors in that short time, and she grew more annoyed with each segment. While it seemed that everyone else in the Commonwealth loved his new persona, she hated it. He didn’t seem as real to her anymore, and his phony smooth-talk was making her sick. Sole was glad that he was happy, but she couldn’t stand to listen to him anymore. 

She traveled in silence, stopping at each of her settlements, until she couldn’t take it anymore. While helping a settler put up a wall to a shack they were working on, she smashed a nearby radio mid-broadcast. Her outburst had scared most of the new arrivals, and she apologized quickly before leaving. 

He had gotten under her skin, and she didn’t know why. Nothing had bothered her this much since she had left the vault. It was time to visit Travis, despite her inner turmoil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know when I will finish this one. I wanted to change the direction of the story a bit, so it's going to take some reworking.


	8. Mad About the Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah! So I'm really sorry about the hiatus. I have the next chapter about halfway done, so I thought this would be a good time to post. I was thinking about combining the next chapter, but it was getting pretty long so I thought it might be good to split it. Also when you come back to read again (apparently that's a thing you guys are doing??? I love you!!!) the smutty stuff will be easier to find/avoid.
> 
> I have gotten so many amazing messages and comments about this, so I really hope this was worth the wait.

Sole was already angry by the time she reached the gates of Diamond City. She was mad that she had walked all the way from Sanctuary without taking a break. She was mad that a bloatfly had startled her into dropping her bottle of booze. She was mad that every passing caravan was listening to Travis’ broadcast. And she was furious that she had allowed herself to develop feelings for some kid. 

 

She wasn’t that old, if you didn’t count the 210 years she had spent in cryogenic storage. But Travis was like a teenager, even if he was in his early twenties. Sole shook her head and continued on. The sun had begun to set when she entered the city, and by the time she had reached his trailer it was nearly dark.

 

His voice was muffled through the door, but she still bristled at the sound. Anger swelled up from the pit of her stomach. It wasn’t that he sounded happy, it was the issue with his authenticity. Rather, lack thereof. 

 

Grimacing, she pounded on the door until it swung open. Travis stood in the doorway of his trailer, standing tall and looking confident. Her mouth dropped open in shock, but before she could start her tirade against him he gave a tired wave and stood aside to let her in. She snapped her jaw shut and stomped up the steps. Travis went back to his broadcast desk and sat down to face her. 

 

“H-hey Sole. It’s been awhile since you’ve visited.” He fidgeted with his hands, not meeting her eyes. “I… I missed you.” His voice cracked, he let out a squeak as he attempted to speak again, but gave up and stared at the floor instead. 

 

All of the frustration that had build up over the course of the past few weeks began deflating. He still looked like Travis, and now sounded like the man who had rescued her. Still awkward, still a kid. 

 

“So, Travis “Lonely” Miles. Got a new story for me?” She walked to him and leaned on the wall, looking down at him. “Maybe one about a fake asshole on the radio?”

 

“You… You don’t like it?” Travis dropped his head into his hands and shuddered. “I thought it was what everyone wanted, for me to be more confident.” 

 

Sole shrugged, and scratched her head. “Well, yeah, but not to be fake. I didn’t expect you to completely change your personality, just stand up for yourself once and awhile. You know?”

 

Travis looked up at her, already with tears in his eyes. “I didn’t change me, just… Just how I talk on the radio. You know? Some people are exactly who they are on the air, and some have a persona. I guess… I want to be somewhere in between.” 

They were quiet for a moment, Travis changed music without commentary and Sole tapped her foot on the cracked floor of the trailer. Finally, she caved. 

 

“I guess I get what you mean. But holy shit Travis, you really pissed me off with that.”

 

Travis looked shocked, and gripped his hair as he began to cry again. “I didn’t want to upset anyone! I was getting death threats you know, before this. Lately I’m getting compliments. People are listening to me, talking to me.” He sighed and dipped his head low again. “Guys like Three Dog, they have it easy. He is who he is. I’m… Not. I’m just a guy on the radio, trying to make a difference. I’m sorry, I thought this was what you wanted. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

 

Suddenly, it all clicked. Travis was so much like her. She had crawled out of the vault, not knowing which way was up or what had happened to the world. She was thrown into chaos, given a weapon and told to survive. It wasn’t her, it wasn’t how she was before the war. But it was what she had to do to live. Travis was just a kid, trying to do his best in a world where he was given a raw deal.

 

Sole knelt before him, and laid her hands on his knees. “Travis… I get it. I’m sorry, I really overreacted. I’m such a fucking idiot, of course you’re still the same guy.” 

 

“I’m sorry too. I should have told you sooner. M-maybe it wouldn’t have been such a shock.”

 

She laughed, and leaned up to kiss him. It just felt natural, after letting go of her anger and coming to an understanding of how he felt. Travis hesitated a moment before leaning into her and returning her affections. 

 

“Thank you, for everything.” He sighed into her kiss, and Sole could feel the tension leaving him as she pulled back. 

 

“Okay Travis, I think we could both use a drink.” She stood to leave, but he reached for her hand and kept her still. 

 

“If it’s… Uh, if it’s ok I’d rather stay in here. People are talking to me a lot more now, it’s… It’s overwhelming. I don’t know if I’m up for that right now.” He looked nervous, afraid to even ask to stay behind. 

 

“Of course, take your time.” Sole walked to his bed instead, and began to rummage through her bag. “No reason we can’t have a good time in here, anyway.” After finding a bottle of rum, she reclined on the mattress and patted it softly.

 

She watched as he set up a queue for the radio, and dragged his chair up next to her. He took the rum when offered, and downed a fair amount before handing it back. They drank in silence for some time, until she reached her hands to him and pulled him onto the bed. There wasn’t much room for them on the small mattress, so he laid partially on top of her as she began to toy with his hair. 

 

He sighed and closed his eyes, pressing his head against her hand as she stroked him. She alternated between scratching lightly down to the base of his neck, to pulling lightly and watching the goosebumps rise up on his skin. Giggling softly as she swallowed another mouthful of rum, Sole convinced Travis to shrug off his letterman’s jacket. 

 

Now clad in a threadbare t-shirt and his jeans, he pressed up against her warm body and watched her drink. He briefly imagined her lips around him instead of the bottle, and choked a little as his imagination started to get carried away. Sole looked at him quizzically, shrugged, and took another gulp before offering it to him. 

 

Travis drank quickly, nearly half a pint before she tugged it away. “Slow down a little, or you’ll get the hiccups.” She laughed at herself and put the bottle on the table next to them, and wrapped her arms around him. “I didn’t know you were such a heavy drinker.”

 

“I’m… Not really. It just helps, sometimes. With the nervousness.”

 

“What, am I making you nervous?”

 

“N-no! Not at all! I mean, I’m always kind of nervous. It’s gotten better lately, but… I still get like this sometimes.”

 

Sole smiled, feeling a little guilty still about the way she came in earlier. Travis was still Travis after all, it was on her to separate his new radio persona from who he really was. After all, it was her and Vadim’s goal to give him a little more confidence, she couldn’t fault him for that. 

 

“So, how many songs do you have queued up anyway?” 

 

“Uh, just a few. I should probably go say something, and set a few more up.” 

 

“Hm.. Alright, well do that and hurry back here. I was kind of enjoying this.”

 

Travis blushed furiously, and sat up quickly. He tripped over his own feet as he walked back to his broadcast setup, switching the mic on as he took a few deep breaths before speaking. 

 

“Good evening, Diamond City. Tonight I have a very special guest visiting, so we’re going to have a lot of music and not a lot of talking. Please enjoy this next set, brought to you by Vadim Bobrov of the Dugout Inn. The stories are free, but the moonshine will cost you.”

 

After setting the tapes to play, Travis leaned back and smiled awkwardly at Sole, who was still stretched out on his bed. 

 

“Well, are you going to join me, or not?” 

 

One of his laces had come undone while tripping over his shoes, he kicked them off as he shuffled back to her. He sat on the edge of the mattress, shy again and afraid to make a move to hold her. She sensed his hesitation, and pulled him down, a little rougher than she had intended. Travis gasped, and she used his distraction to make herself more comfortable next to him. 

 

“So… Uh, what did, what did you want to talk about?” Travis gulped a little, she had pulled him close and he was only inches from her face now. “I uh, I don’t really have anything exciting in my life to tell you…”

 

“Well, we don’t have to talk if you don’t want to.” 

 

“Oh. Uhm, sure.” His eyes were focused on her lips, they looked impossibly soft.

 

“I guess I could tell you about what I’ve been up to, so you can tell everyone later how great I am.”

 

“Uh-huh.” Travis could smell the dirt and grime from the wasteland on her, but also the sweet perfume she liked to put in her hair. 

 

“Or… I could find other ways to entertain you?” Sole smirked, watching him become increasingly distracted was very enjoyable. She placed her free hand on his waist, the other shoved under a pillow to keep it from going numb while she lay on her side facing him. Travis was breathing a little heavily, he closed his eyes as she began massaging his lower back and hip. 

 

“You know… This is really nice.” He sighed and leaned forward until his forehead was resting against hers. “I don’t really like spending a lot of time with people, but I feel… Relaxed, around you at least.” 

 

She could feel his heart beating rapidly against her chest. He was attempting to give her a massage as well, though he wasn’t very skilled with his hands. Travis was clumsy, awkward. Sole thought it was absolutely endearing. 

 

Quickly, before he even really felt her move against him, she kissed him. There was a soft gasp, and his eyes snapped open. His hands squeezed around her, and he began to stutter. Before he could get too far, she pulled him closer and kissed him again. Travis moaned softly, and began kissing her back. 

 

He was eager, and inexperienced. She didn’t mind, it wouldn’t be the first time she taught a boy how to kiss. Slowly, she spread her lips and pushed her tongue against his mouth. It took only a moment before he started to understand, and he opened up to her. 

 

Sole was happy to take the lead with him. Her free hand moved lower, squeezing his backside and pulling his hips against hers. His own hands were moving as well, stroking her hair and pinching slightly as he tried to massage her hips the way she had done for him. Without breaking their kiss, she rolled to straddle one of his legs. 

 

Pulling back for a moment, she looked down at him and he tried brushing her hair back behind her ear. It was a cute gesture, but her hair was too short to stay in place. She giggled, both of their faces were flushed red. She pushed her knee up slightly, feeling him growing hard against her leg. 

 

“That was… Wow, that… That happened.” Travis was slightly out of breath, he hadn’t yet learned how to breath and kiss at the same time. 

 

“Oh come on Travis, I’m just getting warmed up.” She kissed him deeply now, biting his bottom lip gently as she pulled away. “Maybe you should set up some more tunes, and I’ll show you a little more.”

 

She watched as he rushed over to his desk, fumbling through holotapes to set up the next block of music. 

 

“Welcome back, I’m Travis.” He gulped, trying to calm himself down. “Here’s some more music. Thanks.” At least he didn’t stutter, he thought to himself as he switched the microphone back off. He was nervous, scared, but excited. 

 

While his back was turned, Sole unzipped her suit just a little to show her cleavage. She had put on a lot of muscle since leaving the vault, but her curves had yet to disappear. 

 

Travis stood and walked back to her, his eyes widening slightly as he looked her up and down. As he approached the bed, she sat up and tugged at his jeans. 

 

“You should take these off, you’ll be more comfortable.”

 

He obeyed, and stood in front of her. 

 

“I... I have no idea what I did to deserve this.”

 

“Come a little closer, and I’ll tell you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also started a new tumblr if you're into that, I sometimes draw naughty things so if that's something you're into, it will be there!
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/kayleighannfics


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